To Ride the River

Pastor Larry Christenson's book, "Ride the River" changed my entire walk with God. It inspired me to reach out beyond my comfort zone; to "journey with Captain Lewis and Captain Clark from St. Louis to the Western Sea... if nothing prevents." I've only just started despite it being fourteen years on this journey, but it's been fascinating. I've seen amazing things, and met amazing, wonderful people. Now I'm setting out to tell you about them. Look for "To Ride the River" in time for Christmas, 2024, "if nothing prevents."

2023 Lewis and Clark Trail 5K

Active

On May 21st in 1804 Meriwether Lewis joined William Clark and the Corps of Discovery in St. Charles, Missouri, and the expedition began in earnest. To commemorate the event, I started the day with excellent Lewis and Clark Northwest Passage Coffee from @frontiercoffeecompany in my Lewis and Clark coffee mug. After church, I did the L&C5K on my Bianchi Volpe touring bike, which has carried me on so many adventures including three of my four Ride Across the Rez fundraisers. The two water bottles have also made those trips, including the "famous" green LCMC water bottle. (Seen below in the company of St. Kateri Tekakwitha and me, Marty, SD, 2012) In the now famous words of Sgt. John Ordway of the original Corps, "I am well, thank God, and in high spirits." Proceeding on...

2023 L&C 5K Update

 

Originally scheduled for Mother's Day weekend, I am going to hold off until the following Sunday to do my L&C5K. This weekend is Mother's Day and MN Fishing Opener, and it's supposed to rain. Next weekend looks better and it marks the 219th anniversary of the date the Corps of Discovery left St. Charles. We'll be in St. Charles in October for the Annual Gathering of the Lutheran Congregations in Mission for Christ (LCMC) and will then be following the Lewis and Clark Trail by bike and car, to Sioux Falls, SD, after the event.

L&C 5K Update

It has rained every weekend since the snow finally stopped, and substantially during weekdays as well, so I have returned the totally reconditioned Discovery II back to the trackstand in the basement to train for the Lewis and Clark Trail Heritage Foundation L&C 5K. Watching “Lewis and Clark Great Journey West “ to get in the spirit. But this week is supposed to be dry, including Saturday, I may have to work late tomorrow, but Thursday the rubber may meet the road! (Photo from the end of the ride.)

We're Riding the Lewis and Clark 5K River!

It's almost time for the 2nd annual LCTHF Virtual 5k! Join us May 6-8 for Zoom stretches and afternoon programs while you complete the 5k on your own in any manner you choose, whether that be walking, BICYCLING, running, kayaking, or whatever else you enjoy. We just want you to get outside and enjoy the outdoors- and maybe share a little about the Lewis and Clark Trail along the way. To register, check out the link: Lewis & Clark Trail 5 K

 

We are Going to Ride the River Again!

It's confirmed. A decade after the last "Ride Across the Rez" in 2012, we're heading back to the Missouri River and South Dakota. This time we will start in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and finish in Chamberlain, South Dakota. Along the way, we will visit Sgt. Floyd's monument, Spirit Mound, Calumet Bluff, Chief Struck by the Ree's grave, St. Paul's Catholic Mission (Marty, SD), and other places both connected with the Corps of Discovery and those significant to our own mission trips to the Sioux Nations.

Part of any journey is preparation, and as Pastor Ellen and I prepare for this one, I am once again reading through "Ride the River." (See the previous post for more info on the book.) I've done this every few years, and each time I discover something new. This time is no different, and I am only a few days into the study. This re-discovery comes at a time when I am at a crossroads with my job at Bethel University. I am truly trying to "Ride the River" under the guidance of the Trinity. I will let you know how it goes, when I know how it goes.

Proceeding on...

Every Person Has a River to Ride

In 2009 I had a dream, a dream that became the main item on my "bucket list." But over the years, life got in the way. I want to revisit that dream, to do that thing: To ride the Lewis and Clark National Historic Trail (and the associated bicycle trail, as much as possible) from St. Louis to the Western Sea. I've done St. Louis to Defiance, MO, and from Vermillion to Pierre, SD. I want to fill in the gaps before I get too old to do it. My guidebook? My very favorite devotional book ever; "Ride the River" by Larry Christenson. I've created a Facebook page and will be resurrecting my blog to tell the tale. It's going to take a few years, but it's time to join the Corps of Discovery again.

God's plan for the Christian life always has been that it be lived out under the active hands-on leadership of Jesus Christ and the HIf I type this normallyoly Spirit. For many, the Trinity is a theological doctrine but not an experience in their everyday lives. Using the journey of Lewis and Clark as a parable, bestselling author Larry Christenson writes that knowing and following God's will is a journey in which each person of the Trinity has a unique and integral part.